John Chapter 14 - Commentary

1-8 Where I am going you cannot follow…yet.

[2] Many Mansions Above…

From 13:36, and here Jesus refers to a “place”. What is our future “heavenly home”?

• Treasures earned here will be gathered there Matt 6:20, Psalm 31:19
• The Glorified Christ will be there Acts 7:36
• It is “built”; it has been designed by the Architect, prepared in advance II Cor 5:1
• It is described as a ‘city’ that has been built by God Heb 11:10, 11:16
• It is large enough to hold the redeemed from all history John 14:2, Rev 7:9
• It is filled with things beyond even our imagination… Isaiah 64:4
• We won’t be tenants, but joint-heirs with Christ; Owners! Matt 25:34
• We get there only one way Matt 25:34

What is heaven? I Corinthians 2:

⁹But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. (Isaiah 64:4)”

¹⁰But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

Heaven in the Bible can refer to several different things (translated from Hebrew shamayim and Greek ouranos):

• Atmosphere – Isaiah 55:9-11 refers to rain and snow coming from the “heavens”. Frost, dew, the four winds, and thunder are also attributed to the “heavens”.
• Celestial – the “lights in the firmament of heaven” referring to space. Interestingly, Job refers to the belt of Orion and Pleiades constellations in the “heavens”.
• Abode of God – a way of describing the habitation of God. (Isaiah 57:15, 63:15). It is poetically described in Psalm 33:

¹³The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.

¹⁴From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth;

Heaven in the OT always carries the distinction as a dwelling place, abode, tabernacle, temple, throne room. Later in the NT it is revealed that Christ dwelt with the Father and the Holy Spirit in perfect communion for an eternity. Addition inhabitants of heaven were angels, and in Revelation, John describes 24 elders, living creatures, and a heavenly host.

[3] I will return for you… Three possible meanings:

1 – return with the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 18)

2 – “meet” the believer in death (Acts 7:55-56)

3 – meet believers raptured in the air (I Thessalonians 4:17).

Clearly any of these three interpretations all understand a more permanent enjoyment of Christ with His redeemed sharing His inheritance for all time.

[6] The way to heaven

Thomas asks “how do we get there?” and Jesus replies: “I AM the way”.

Note that Jesus has now rejected the “holy” temple in Jerusalem, for it is no longer His Father’s house, but a den of thieves. Matthew 23:

³⁸See! Your house is left to you desolate; ³⁹for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”(Psalm 118:26)

9-21 Show us the Father

[9] Three ways to see the Father:

1. Through Jesus’ words and works (John 1:11, Isaiah 40:5

2. Through acts of believers (John 14:12-15)

3. Through the works of The Helper

From parakletos (parakletos) - to come along side and strengthen

[11] The Father is in Jesus – they are One

This is a firm claim of Divinity.

[12] Even greater things will you do…

This denotes a different relationship between the Disciples and Jesus. Once Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father, enjoying dominion over heaven and earth as the Son of God and the Son of Man, the work performed on earth will be even greater (numerically this has happened). The relationship now is different. The disciples will now be “indwelt” by the Holy Spirit – a closer union to Christ than before.

[15] If you love me….

Many times Jesus places a condition of obedience as the measure of our love:

John 8:³¹Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

John 8: ³⁹…Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

John 8: ⁵¹“Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

John 12: ²⁶“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.”

John 13: ¹⁷“If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

John 13: ³⁵By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 14: ¹⁵“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

John 14: ²³Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

John 15: ¹⁰“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

John 15: ¹⁴“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”

The result of this obedience is a deeper understanding of the Truth, an ability to understand what was not understandable before, and the physical union of God with his own. (v 23).

Obedience is not a “work”, but it is something God commands you to do.

22-31 The Coming of the Spirit of Power…

[23] We will indwell you….

How is it possible for the Holy Spirit to dwell where sin is still present?

This requires and understanding of the Holy Temple, a sacred place on an earth that is stained with evil. God says “you are the temple of the Lord”. I Corinthians 3:

¹⁶Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

The great work that the Holy Spirit performs is to quicken those who were dead (millions of believers), and give Illumination to the deep secrets of God’s redemptive plan through the Scriptures – making it alive to those of us who are believers. Do you believe this?

From Chapter 14 through 16, the Lord offers a final summary of His teachings to the disciples in what is referred to as the “Upper Room Discourse”. Jesus continues to instruct the disciples on their proper relationship to Him and to each other.

Upper Room Discourse Overview

The key points of the Lord’s teaching to His disciples from chapters 14 through 16:

• Do not be troubled – you are heirs to heaven (14:1-5)
• I AM the Way, the Truth and the Light – there is no other way to the Father (14:6-14)
• If you love Me, keep My commandments (7 times in this discourse)
• The Father will send you a helper (14:15-31)
• I AM the vine, you are the branches – you cannot bear spiritual fruit without Me (15:1-10)
• You are now My friends, as a result, the world will hate you as it hates Me (15:11-27)
• The Spirit will come and testify of Me (16:1-15)
• Jesus will return again (16:16-33)

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.